diff --git a/src/bucket/StagingBucket.js b/src/bucket/StagingBucket.js
index c353244..e69aec6 100644
--- a/src/bucket/StagingBucket.js
+++ b/src/bucket/StagingBucket.js
@@ -204,31 +204,108 @@ module.exports = Class( 'StagingBucket' )
      */
     'private _hasChanged': function( data, merge_index )
     {
+        let changed = false;
+
         for ( let name in data )
         {
-            let values = data[ name ];
-            let cur    = this._curdata[ name ] || [];
+            let values   = data[ name ];
+            let cur      = this._curdata[ name ] || [];
+            let len      = this._length( values );
+            let has_null = ( len !== values.length );
 
-            if ( !merge_index && ( values.length !== cur.length ) )
+            let merge_len_change = (
+                merge_index && has_null && ( len < cur.length )
+            );
+
+            let replace_len_change = (
+                !merge_index && ( len !== cur.length )
+            );
+
+            // quick change check (index removal if merge_index, or index
+            // count change if not merge_index)
+            if ( merge_len_change || replace_len_change )
             {
-                return true;
+                changed = true;
+                continue;
             }
 
-            for ( let index in values )
+            for ( let index = 0; index < len; index++ )
             {
                 if ( merge_index && ( values[ index ] === undefined ) )
                 {
                     continue;
                 }
 
-                if ( values[ index ] !== cur[ index ] )
+                if ( !this._deepEqual( values[ index ], cur[ index ] ) )
                 {
-                    return true;
+                    changed = true;
+                    continue;
                 }
+
+                // unchanged
+                values[ index ] = undefined;
+            }
+
+            // if nothing is left, remove entirely
+            if ( !values.some( x => x !== undefined ) )
+            {
+                delete data[ name ];
             }
         }
 
-        return false;
+        return changed;
+    },
+
+
+    /**
+     * Get actual length of vector
+     *
+     * This considers when the last element of the vector is a null value,
+     * which is a truncation indicator.
+     *
+     * @param {Array} values value vector
+     *
+     * @return {number} length of vector considering truncation
+     */
+    'private _length'( values )
+    {
+        if ( values[ values.length - 1 ] === null )
+        {
+            return values.length - 1;
+        }
+
+        return values.length;
+    },
+
+
+    /**
+     * Recursively check for equality of two vavlues
+     *
+     * This only recognizes nested arrays (vectors).  They are not
+     * traditionally encountered in the bucket, but may exist.
+     *
+     * The final comparison is by string equality, since bucket values are
+     * traditionally strings.
+     *
+     * @param {*} a first vector or scalar
+     * @param {*} b second vector or scalar
+     *
+     * @return {boolean} whether `a` and `b` are equal
+     */
+    'private _deepEqual'( a, b )
+    {
+        if ( Array.isArray( a ) )
+        {
+            if ( !Array.isArray( b ) || ( a.length !== b.length ) )
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+
+            return a.map( ( item, i ) => this._deepEqual( item, b[ i ] ) )
+                .every( res => res === true );
+        }
+
+        return ''+a === ''+b;
     },
 
 
diff --git a/test/bucket/StagingBucketTest.js b/test/bucket/StagingBucketTest.js
index 94a3833..6f01e06 100644
--- a/test/bucket/StagingBucketTest.js
+++ b/test/bucket/StagingBucketTest.js
@@ -112,6 +112,30 @@ describe( 'StagingBucket', () =>
                 merge_index: true,
                 is_change:   true,
             },
+            {
+                initial:     { foo: [ 'bar', 'baz' ] },
+                update:      { foo: [ 'bar', 'baz', null ] },
+                merge_index: true,
+                is_change:   false,
+            },
+            {
+                initial:     { foo: [ 'bar', 'baz' ] },
+                update:      { foo: [ 'bar', 'baz', null ] },
+                merge_index: false,
+                is_change:   false,
+            },
+            {
+                initial:     { foo: [ 'bar', 'baz' ] },
+                update:      { foo: [ 'bar', 'baz', 'quux' ] },
+                merge_index: true,
+                is_change:   true,
+            },
+            {
+                initial:     { foo: [ 'bar', 'baz' ] },
+                update:      { foo: [ 'bar', 'baz', 'quux' ] },
+                merge_index: false,
+                is_change:   true,
+            },
             {
                 initial:     { foo: [ 'bar', 'baz' ] },
                 update:      { foo: [] },